Exercise boots with an arcuate base may be used to stretch or exercise muscles and connective tissue in the leg, particularly the lower leg. Such boots are used by placing one's foot on the boot, them moving the boot backward and forward on the arcuate base. These boots may be used one at a time, or two may be combined to allow exercise of both legs simultaneously.
In general, the range of motion for stretching or exercising available to a user is defined by the geometry of an exercise boot. An exercise boot with an arcuate base has a potential degree of rotation defined in part by the arcuate length of the base. An exercise boot may also have one or more stretch angles defined by a foot platform.
A prior art exercise boot 1 is depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. Rocker boot 1 includes a footrest and a base 30. The footrest of boot 1 comprises a toe rest 10 and a heel rest 20. Base 20 includes at least one arcuate rail 38. Toe rest 10 includes a front edge 12, a back edge 14, sides 16a and 16b, and a set of ridges 18. Heel rest 20 includes a front edge 22, a heel stop 24, sides 26a and 26b, and a set of ridges 28. Base 20 includes a toe hole 32, a heel hole 34, a recess 36, and at least one arcuate rail 38.
Boot 1 may be used to stretch or exercise muscles and connective tissue in the leg, particularly the lower leg. Boot 1 may be used by placing one's foot on boot 1, them moving boot 1 backward and forward on base 30, rolling along arcuate rail 38. Boot 1 may be used by itself, or joined with a second boot 1 to allow exercise of both legs simultaneously.
Boot 1 includes a potential degree of rotation defined by the geometry of boot 1, including rotation angles labeled θ1 and θ2 in FIGS. 1 and 2. In addition, the geometry of boot 1 defines a stretch angle labeled β in FIG. 2. Angles θ1, θ2, and β are defined and fixed at the time boot 1 is made and cannot be changed later by a user.